RIBA - Raising International Business Awareness

Business Ethics in Turkey and EU

Code: Man 4015

ECTS
6

Course level
undergraduate

Course prerequisites (start competences)
Consent of the Instructor
Students are expected to gain a comprehensive understanding of Business Ethics and a sensitivity toward ethical issues.

Course description & goals (final competences)
This course aims to familiarize students with the concepts of Business Ethics.

Basic ethical concepts and indigenous national frameworks will be analyzed. The aim of this analysis is to make students more sensitive towards societal and regional ethical issues. Ways and ways of improving the business organizations in the eyes of related publics will be a major concern. Thus, a cross –cultural and interdisciplinary approach will be used in addressing the ethical problems in public and private sectors. Moreover, several ethical issues in different functions of business ( e.g. marketing, finance, production etc.) and the latest developments in international business and environment together with the analysis of their impact on business ethics of indigenous countries will be provided.

Goals (final competences)
Students are expected to learn about the philosophy of Ethical Business
Students are expected to understand Business Ethics concepts
Students are expected to understand and to analyze the Ethical Dilemmas
Students are expected to learn about latest issues on Business Ethics

Tentative Course Outline
1   Introduction
2   “Business Ethics is a contradiction in terms!”
Definition of Business Ethics. Claim of Amorality of Business. Unethical Image of Business in the General Public.
3   Deontological & Utilitarian Ethical Approaches
Definitions of Basic Ethical Approaches. Deontological Theory. Utilitarian Theory.
4   Business Ethics: Where did it come from?
Foundations of Business Ethics.
5   Corporate Social Responsibility
Discussion of Friedman’s article “The Social Responsibility of the Business is to Increase its Profits”.
Corporate Social Responsibility Definitions. Boundaries of the Concept.
6   What causes managers and employees to act in an unethical way?
Issues that Drive Managers and Employees to Unethical Action. Risk of the Banality of Evil Claim.
7   Culture’s Impact on Business Ethics
Relations between Culture and Business Ethics.
8   Business Ethics Across Organizational Functions
Accounting Ethics & Financial Ethics
Unique Issues About Accounting Ethics & Financial Ethics
9   Business Ethics Across Organizational Functions
Marketing Ethics & Information Technology Ethics
Unique Issues About Accounting Ethics & Financial Ethics
10   Corporate Scandals
Examination of the Past and Present Corporate Scandals.
11   Ecology, Sustainable Development and Global Business
Ecology and Sustainable Development Concepts Effect on Global Business
12   Managing Environmental Issues
Environmental Issues. Management of Environmental Issues.
13   Ecological Management Style
Emerging Need for an Ecological Management Style and Definition of the Concept.
14   About Business Ethics of Future
Projections on the Future of Business Ethics.

Teaching method
General description
Lectures and debates will be the major methods of instruction. In order to be able to participate in the class discussions, each student must read the assignments prior to the class.

Course material
Post, J.E., Lawrence, A.T., Weber, J. (2002) Business and Society: Corporate Strategy, Public Policy and Ethics. McGraw-Hill Irwin: New York.

Evaluation
Midterm   40%
Report   10%
Final   50%
Total   100%

Retake
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Lecturer
Prof. Ömür Özmen
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